1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to portable cookers and particularly to portable cookers which utilize solar energy as the source of energy for cooking.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The advent of the energy shortage has increased the importance of non-fossil energy sources such as solar radiation for cooking. The basic problem with available solar cookers is that an adequate transfer of heat energy from the heat generating panel into the oven has not been achieved.
Solar cooker constructions similar to that of the present invention are illustrated in a series of patents issued to Hyman A. Steinberg, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 3,106,201. The device described in this patent has a housing construction with solar energy reflectors and means for transferring the solar energy to an oven area. The radiant energy is directed to a flat metal collector plate which generates heat; however, no means is shown for efficiently transferring the heat so generated into the underlying oven.
Thus, it becomes an object of the present invention to provide a solar cooker having a heat generating and transfer unit capable of efficiently transferring heat to the oven.